Method of Making Wafer Structure for Backside Illuminated Color Image Sensor

ABSTRACT

An integrated circuit device is provided. The integrated circuit device can include a substrate; a first radiation-sensing element disposed over a first portion of the substrate; and a second radiation-sensing element disposed over a second portion of the substrate. The first portion comprises a first radiation absorption characteristic, and the second portion comprises a second radiation absorption characteristic different from the first radiation absorption characteristic.

PRIORITY DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/537,167, filed Aug. 6, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/626,664, filed Jan. 24, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No.7,638,852, issued Dec. 29, 2009, which claims benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/798,876, filed May 9, 2006,each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

An image sensor provides a grid of pixels, such as photosensitive diodesor photodiodes, reset transistors, source follower transistors, pinnedlayer photodiodes, and/or transfer transistors for recording anintensity or brightness of light. The pixel responds to the light byaccumulating a charge—the more light, the higher the charge. The chargecan then be used by another circuit so that a color and brightness canbe used for a suitable application, such as a digital camera. Commontypes of pixel grids include a charge-coupled device (CCD) orcomplimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

Backside illuminated sensors are used for sensing a volume of exposedlight projected towards the backside surface of a substrate. The pixelsare located on a front side of the substrate, and the substrate is thinenough so that light projected towards the backside of the substrate canreach the pixels. Backside illuminated sensors provide a high fillfactor and reduced destructive interference, as compared to front-sideilluminated sensors.

A problem with backside illuminated sensors is that differentwavelengths of radiation to be sensed experience different effectiveabsorption depths in the substrate. For example, blue light experiencesa more shallow effective absorption depth, as compared to red light.Improvements in backside illuminated sensors and/or the correspondingsubstrate are desired to accommodate different wavelengths of light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isemphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a sensor including a plurality of pixels,according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 2-5 are sectional views of a sensor having a plurality of backsideilluminated pixels, constructed according to aspects of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a graph of light sensitivity vs. wavelength for a sensorhaving backside substrate thicknesses of uniform size.

FIG. 7 is a graph of light sensitivity vs. wavelength for a sensorhaving backside substrate thicknesses of varying size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides manydifferent embodiments, or examples, for implementing different featuresof various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangementsare described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, ofcourse, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second featurein the description that follows may include embodiments in which thefirst and second features are formed in direct contact, and may alsoinclude embodiments in which additional features may be formedinterposing the first and second features, such that the first andsecond features may not be in direct contact.

Referring to FIG. 1, an image sensor 50 provides a grid of backsideilluminated (or back-illuminated) pixels 100. In the present embodiment,the pixels 100 are photosensitive diodes or photodiodes, for recordingan intensity or brightness of light on the diode. Alternatively, thepixels 100 may also include reset transistors, source followertransistors, pinned layer photodiodes, and transfer transistors. Theimage sensor 50 can be of various different types, including acharge-coupled device (CCD), a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS) image sensor (CIS), an active-pixel sensor (ACP), or apassive-pixel sensor. Additional circuitry and input/outputs aretypically provided adjacent to the grid of pixels 100 for providing anoperation environment for the pixels and for supporting externalcommunications with the pixels.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the sensor 50 includes a silicon-on-insulator(SOI) substrate 110 including silicon and carbon dioxide. Alternatively,the substrate 110 may comprise an epitaxial layer or other combinationof layers. In other embodiments, the substrate 110 may comprise anelementary semiconductor such as silicon, germanium, and diamond. Thesubstrate 110 may also comprise a compound semiconductor such as siliconcarbide, gallium arsenic, indium arsenide, and indium phosphide. Thesubstrate 110 may comprise an alloy semiconductor such as silicongermanium, silicon germanium carbide, gallium arsenic phosphide, andgallium indium phosphide.

In the present embodiment, the substrate 110 comprises P-type siliconformed over a silicon dioxide base. Silicon doping may be implementedusing a process such as ion implantation or diffusion in various steps.The substrate 110 may comprise lateral isolation features to separatedifferent devices formed on the substrate. The thickness of thesubstrate 110 has been thinned to allow for etching of the backside ofthe substrate. This reduction in thickness may be accomplished by backgrinding, diamond scrubbing, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), orother similar techniques.

The sensor 50 includes a plurality of pixels 100 formed on the frontsurface of the semiconductor substrate 110. For the sake of example, thepixels are further labeled 100R, 100G, and 100B to correspond withexample light wavelengths of red, green, and blue, respectively. Asnoted above, the pixels 100 (also referred to as radiation-sensingelements) sense different wavelengths of radiation (light) and record anintensity or brightness of the radiation (light). The pixels 100 eachcomprise a light-sensing region (or photo-sensing region) which in thepresent embodiment is an N-type doped region having dopants formed inthe semiconductor substrate 110 by a method such as diffusion or ionimplantation. In continuance of the present example, the doped regionsare further labeled 112R, 112G, and 112B to correspond with the pixels100R, 100G, and 100B, respectively. In some embodiments, the dopedregions 112 can be varied one from another, such as by having differentmaterial types, thicknesses, and so forth.

The sensor 50 further includes additional layers, including first andsecond metal layers 120, 122 and inter-level dielectric 124. Thedielectric layer 124 comprises a low-k material, as compared to adielectric constant of silicon dioxide. Alternatively, the dielectriclayer 124 may comprise carbon-doped silicon oxide, fluorine-dopedsilicon oxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or organic low-kmaterial. The metal layers 120, 122 may include aluminum, copper,tungsten, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, metalsilicide, or any combinations thereof.

Additional circuitry also exists to provide an appropriate functionalityto handle the type of pixels 100 being used and the type of light beingsensed. It is understood that the wavelengths red, green, and blue areprovided for the sake of example, and that the pixels 100 are generallyillustrated as being photodiodes for the sake of example.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the substrate 110 includes a plurality ofabsorption depths 114R, 114G, and 114B located beneath the correspondingpixels 100R, 100G, and 100B, respectively. Each wavelength (e.g., red,green, and blue light) has a different effective absorption depth whenit passes through the substrate 110. For example, blue light experiencesa more shallow effective absorption depth, as compared to red light.Thus, the absorption depth 114R, 114G, and 114B for each color pixel100R, 100G, and 100B varies accordingly. As an example, the absorptiondepth 114R beneath the pixel 100R for red light is between 0.35 μm to8.0 μm. The absorption depth 114G beneath the pixel 100G for green lightis between 0.15 μm to 3.5 μm. The absorption depth 114B beneath thepixel 100B for blue light is between 0.10 μm to 2.5 μm.

The absorption depths 114 may be formed by a variety of differenttechniques. One technique is to apply a photosensitive layer to thebackside of the substrate 110, pattern the photosensitive layer, andetch the substrate according to the pattern. For example, a wet etchprocess may be used to remove the unwanted silicon substrate. Thisprocess can be repeated to create different absorption depths.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the sensor 50 includes a planarization layer130 located between the pixels 100R, 100G, and 100B and the colorfilters 160R, 160G, and 160B (shown in FIG. 5). The planarization layer130 is made up of an organic or polymeric material that has a hightransmittance rate for visible light. This allows light to pass throughthe planarization layer 130 with very little distortion so that it canbe detected at the light-sensing regions in the substrate 110. Theplanarization layer 130 may be formed by a spin coating method whichprovides for a uniform and even layer.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the sensor 50 is designed to receive light 150directed towards the back surface of the semiconductor substrate 110during applications, eliminating any obstructions to the optical pathsby other objects such as gate features and metal lines, and maximizingthe exposure of the light-sensing region to the illuminated light. Theilluminated light 150 may not be limited to visual light beam, but canbe infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and other radiation.

The sensor 50 further comprises a color filter layer 160. The colorfilter layer 160 can support several different color filters (e.g., red,green, and blue), and may be positioned such that the incident light isdirected thereon and there through. In one embodiment, suchcolor-transparent layers may comprise a polymeric material (e.g.,negative photoresist based on an acrylic polymer) or resin. The colorfilter layer 160 may comprise negative photoresist based on an acrylicpolymer including color pigments. In continuance of the present example,color filters 160R, 160G, and 160B correspond to pixels 100R, 100G, and100B, respectively.

The sensor 50 may comprise a plurality of lenses 170, such asmicrolenses, in various positional arrangements with the pixels 100 andthe color filters 160, such that the backside-illuminated light 150 canbe focused on the light-sensing regions.

Referring to FIG. 6, a graph 200 shows a comparison of the sensitivitiesfor the various pixels when responding to red, green, or blue light. Thevertical axis of the graph 200 shows light or radiation sensitivity, andthe horizontal axis shows light or radiation wavelength. As can be seenfrom the graph 200, if the absorption depths are uniform, the lightsensitivity 205 between the different pixels in response to red, green,and blue radiation wavelengths would be different. The blue light has ashorter wavelength than the green and red light and thus, the blue lighthas a shorter effective absorption depth in the substrate. In thepresent example, the pixel for receiving blue light would have a reducedlevel of light sensitivity, as compared to the pixels for receivinggreen and red light.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a graph 210 shows a comparison of thesensitivities for the pixels 100R, 100G, and 100B, when responding tored, green, or blue light, respectively. Since the sensor 50 hasabsorption depths 114R, 114G, and 114B with varying thicknesses, then amore even distribution of light sensitivity 215 can be obtained betweenthe different pixels 100R, 100G, and 100B in response to differentwavelengths of radiation. In the present example, the wavelengths arered, green, and blue, and the pixels 100R, 100G, and 100B havecorresponding color filters 160R, 160G, and 160B. It is understood thatvariations in junction depths and dopant concentrations may be combinedwith aspects of the present disclosure to achieve a more uniformspectral response and to improve performance of the sensor 50.

Thus, provided is an improved sensor device and method for manufacturingsame. In one embodiment, a backside illuminated sensor includes asemiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface and aplurality of pixels formed on the front surface of the semiconductorsubstrate. The sensor further includes a plurality of absorption depthsformed within the back surface of the semiconductor substrate. Each ofthe plurality of absorption depths is arranged according to each of theplurality of pixels.

In some embodiments, the plurality of pixels are of a type to form aCMOS image sensor. In other embodiments, the plurality of pixels are ofa type to form a charge-coupled device. In other embodiments, theplurality of pixels are of a type to form an active-pixel sensor. Instill other embodiments, the plurality of pixels are of a type to form apassive-pixel sensor.

In some other embodiments, the sensor includes red, green, and bluecolor filters aligned with corresponding red, green, and blue pixels anda planarization layer that lies between the color filters and thepixels. The sensor further includes microlenses over the color filters,a dielectric layer disposed above the front surface of the semiconductorsubstrate, and a plurality of metal layers over the semiconductorsubstrate.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for forming a backsideilluminated sensor. The method includes providing a semiconductorsubstrate having a front surface and a back surface and forming a first,second, and third pixel on the front surface of the semiconductorsubstrate. The method further includes forming a first, second, andthird thickness within the back surface of the semiconductor substrate,wherein the first, second, and third thickness lies beneath the first,second, and third pixel, respectively. In some embodiments, the methodincludes forming color filters aligned with the plurality of pixels andforming a planarization layer between the color filters and pixels. Themethod further includes providing a dielectric layer and a plurality ofmetal layers above the front surface of the semiconductor substrate.

The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the detailed description thatfollows. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: providing a semiconductorsubstrate having a substantially planar front surface and a backsurface; forming a first pixel and a second pixel on the substantiallyplanar front surface of the semiconductor substrate; and forming a firstportion of the semiconductor substrate having a first thickness and asecond portion of the semiconductor substrate having a second thickness,wherein the first portion having the first thickness is aligned with thefirst pixel and the second portion having the second thickness isaligned with the second pixel.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising forming a planarization layer over the back surface of thesemiconductor substrate.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein forming theplanarization layer over the back surface of the semiconductor substrateincludes forming the planarization layer directly on the first andsecond portions of the semiconductor substrate.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein forming the first portion of the semiconductor substratehaving the first thickness and the second portion of the semiconductorsubstrate having the second thickness includes performing an etchingprocess to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the etching process includes a wet etchingprocess.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a colorfilter layer over the first and second portions of the semiconductorsubstrate.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the color filter layerincludes a first type of color filter aligned with the first portion anda second color filter aligned with the second portion.
 8. A methodcomprising: forming a first radiation-sensing element and a secondradiation-sensing element on a substantially planar first surface of asubstrate; and removing portions of the substrate such that thesubstrate has a first thickness and a second thickness, wherein thefirst thickness and the second thickness are between the substantiallyplanar first surface and a second surface of the substrate, and whereinthe first thickness is aligned with the first radiation-sensing elementand the second thickness is aligned with the second radiation-sensingelement.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the firstradiation-sensing element and the second radiation-sensing element onthe substantially planar first surface of the substrate further includesforming a third radiation-sensing element on the substantially planarfirst surface of the substrate.
 10. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising forming red, green, and blue color filters over the secondsurface of the substrate that are aligned with the first, second, andthird radiation-sensing elements, respectively.
 11. The method of claim9, wherein removing portions of the substrate such that the substratehas the first thickness and the second thickness further includesremoving additional portions of the substrate such that the substratehas a third thickness, and wherein the third thickness is between thesubstantially planar first surface and the second surface of thesubstrate, and wherein the third thickness is aligned with the thirdradiation-sensing element.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the firstthickness defines a first absorption depth for a first radiationdirected towards the first radiation-sensing element from the secondsurface, wherein the second thickness defines a second absorption depthfor a second radiation directed towards the second radiation-sensingelement from the second surface, and wherein the third thickness definesa third absorption depth for a third radiation directed towards thethird radiation-sensing element from the second surface.
 13. The methodof claim 8, wherein the substrate is a silicon-on-insulator substrate.14. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming one of an organicmaterial layer or a polymeric material layer over the second surface ofthe substrate.
 15. A method comprising: providing a substrate having asubstantially planar first surface and an opposing second surface;forming a first pixel and a second pixel on the substantially planarfirst surface of the substrate; and removing portions of the substratesuch that the substrate has a first thickness and a second a secondthickness, wherein the first thickness is aligned with the first pixeland the second thickness is aligned with the second pixel.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, furthering including forming a plurality of metallayers over the substantially planar first surface of the substrate. 17.The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a planarization layerover the second surface of the substrate.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the planarization layer includes a first surface facing thesecond surface of the semiconductor substrate and an opposingsubstantially planar second surface, wherein the planarization layer hasa first portion having a first thickness extending from the firstsurface of the planarization layer to the substantially planar secondsurface and a second portion having a second thickness extending fromthe first surface of the planarization layer to the substantially planarsecond surface, and wherein the first portion of the planarization layeris aligned with the first pixel and the second portion of theplanarization layer is aligned with the second pixel.
 19. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising forming a color filter layer over theplanarization layer; and forming a lens over the color filter layer. 20.The method of claim 19, wherein forming the color filter layer over theplanarization layer includes forming a first type of color filter overthe planarization layer that is aligned with the first thickness and asecond type of color filter over the planarization layer that is alignedwith the second thickness.